UF/IFAS EXTENSION. Annual Citrus Nutrition Day

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1 CITRUS NOTES VOL UF/IFAS EXTENSION OCTOBER 2016 C i t r u s N o t e s Chris Oswalt UF/IFAS Citrus Extension Agent for Polk & Hillsborough Counties IMPORTANT DATES OCTOBER 11, 2016 CITRUS NUTRITION DAY OCTOBER 12, 2016 CLAY SHOOT & CROP ESTIMATE LUNCHEON OCTOBER 18, 2016 RIDGE CITRUS PRODUCTION SCHOOL OCTOBER 27, 2016 WPS TRAIN THE TRAINER NOVEMBER 3, 2016 CITRUS EMPLOYEE SAFETY TRAINING & TRACTOR RODEO CONTACT INFO POLK COUNTY EXTENSION SERVICE PO Box 9005, Drawer HS03 Bartow, FL (863) wcoswalt@ufl.edu HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY EXTENSION SERVICE 5339 County Road 579 Seffner, FL (813) Ext Annual Citrus Nutrition Day The Annual UF/IFAS Citrus Nutrition Day will be held at the UF/IFAS Citrus Research and Education Center on Tuesday, October 11, Registration information is included in a program flyer at the end of this newsletter. Ridge Citrus Production School The Production School will be held every Tuesday morning beginning October 18th running through November 29, The sessions will be held at the UF/IFAS Citrus Research and Education Center, BHG Hall. General topic areas include: citrus pathology, handling and processing, economics, entomology, horticulture, varieties, rootstocks alternative crops and soil and water science. Specific and registration information is included in the program flyer attached at the end of this newsletter. New Worker Protection Standard Train the Trainer Class We have scheduled a WPS, Train the Trainer class for the morning of Thursday, October 27, The program will begin at 8:30 a.m. at the Polk County Cooperative Extension Service Office at 1702 US Highway 17 South. It will be held in the Brenneman Auditorium here at the office. Registration information is included at the end of this newsletter. If you wish to be able to train agriculture workers and handlers under the new WPS, you will need to take this course or hold a current valid Florida restricted use pesticide license. This new training includes changes that will be occurring in the new modified WPS that begins on January 2, Agricultural workers and handlers do not have to be trained in the new rules until the training materials become available. If you have provided current WPS training to your agricultural workers and/or handlers in 2016, this will suffice for the annual training requirement for one year from the date of training. What this also means, according to my understanding, is that you will still have to follow and implement the new WPS rules beginning January 2, 2017, but your agricultural workers and handlers will not necessarily know of the changes until they receive the updated training. Citrus Employee Safety Training & Tractor Rodeo Our annual Citrus Employee Safety Training and Tractor Rodeo will be held on Thursday, November 3, 2016, at the Stuart Conference Center in Bartow. I have enclosed a program flyer and registration form. Please read up on the team tractor rodeo instructions, we made some changes this year. The Foundation for the Gator Nation An Equal Opportunity Institution 1" OF 4

2 CITRUS NOTES VOL UF/IFAS EXTENSION OCTOBER 2016 WINTER OUTLOOK LOOKS TO STILL BE WARM AND DRY At this point the National Weather Service s Climate Prediction Center is now favoring neutral El Nino conditions through the upcoming winter. In the illustration to the left there is a 33 to 40% probability of having above average temperatures during December to February. Not shown is the rainfall map with has a 40% probability of having below average rainfall during these same months. Remember historically our most devastating freezes occur in neutral years Edition of the Winter Weather Watch The edition of the Polk County Winter Weather Watch program will begin on November 15, The program provides growers with winter weather forecast information specifically geared toward agricultural interests in West Central and Southwest Florida. The program provides subscribers with an unlisted phone number for (24 hour/7 days a week) access to daily weather forecasts. The zone forecasts are from the National Weather Service (NWS) and are listed on the automated phone menu, so you can select the products you are interested in. Forecasts include the zone forecasts, 6-10 and 8-14 day outlook forecasts. In addition to the forecasts, we have special weather narratives provided (by our retired NWS meteorologist Fred Crosby) as needed in the event of freezing temperatures and a weekly outlook. When freezing temperatures are predicted in our area, additional updates will include the afternoon zone forecast and the modified sunset brunt minimum temperature equation. If this is not enough, we will also provide the weekly citrus leaf freezing temperatures and the Winter Weather Watch manual. You will also have access to weather data from seven Polk County Citrus Extension Weather Stations. Subscriptions for the Winter Weather Watch program are only $ for the entire 4 month period (Nov 15 to Mar 15). The cost is about the same as one tank of gas for your pickup truck. You can subscribe to the Winter Weather Watch by completing and returning the enclosed subscription form Winter Weather Averages Last month, the National Weather Service s, Climate Prediction Center was forecasting a weak La Nina this winter. Well conditions have changed and now they are indicating that this winter will be neutral, neither El Nino or La Nina. This neutral condition has the following effects on the number of freezes in Tampa, Lakeland and Ft. Myers. In Tampa the average number of freezes during a neutral winter are above average for December and March, below average for January, February and below average for the winter season. In Lakeland the average number of freezes is about average in a neutral year during the months of December and January, below average for February, March and below average for the winter season. In Ft. Myers, only in the month of January are the average number of freezes greater than average. December and February were below average and there were none in March, and overall the winter season was below average. Rainfall is above average during neutral winters in Tamp, Lakeland and Ft. Myers during the months of February and April. In the months of December, January and March, monthly rainfall is below average. So, I think one can see why the winter forecast is predicting warm and dry conditions. " 2 OF 4

3 CITRUS NOTES VOL UF/IFAS EXTENSION OCTOBER 2016 UF/IFAS FARM LABOR SUPERVISOR TRAINING PROGRAM 2016 FALL TRAINING DATES & LOCATIONS October 11-12, Arcadia October 25-26, Sebring November 9-10, Immokalee Registration and additional information on this program is attached at the end of this newsletter Agricultural Tax Planning The S Corporation In the June 2016 issue of Citrus Notes we discussed the C corporation. This article will focus on the S corporation (S Corp.), the other type of corporation which is included in the Internal Revenue Code under Subchapter S. S Corps are closely held corporations that elect to pass corporate income, losses, deductions, and credits through to their shareholders annually. This flow-through of income or losses is reported on the shareholders personal tax returns and assessed at their individual income tax rates. Income taxes are not generally imposed at the corporate level on S corporations. However, S corporations are responsible for tax on certain built-in gains and passive income. S Corporation Qualifications and Requirements It must be domestic. It may only have allowable shareholders such as individuals, certain trusts, and estates. Shareholders may not be partnerships, corporations or non-resident aliens. It cannot have more than 100 shareholders. It may only have one class of stock ignoring any differences in voting rights. Cannot be an ineligible business (i.e. certain financial institutions, insurance companies and Domestic International Sales Corporations). S corporation status must be elected by filing IRS Form 2553 Election by a Small Business Corporation signed by all of the shareholders. Note that LLC s and partnerships may also elect to be taxed under Subchapter S rules by use of the check-the-box rules but they would not benefit from being formed as a corporation. Failure to meet any of the requirements could have significant tax consequences; therefore a tax professional should be consulted when electing to be treated as an S Corp. S Corporation Advantages There are a number of advantages in electing to be treated as an S corp. This election allows for many of the benefits afforded a business operating as a corporation without the disadvantage of double taxation of corporate earnings. Asset protection. Absent a personal guarantee, an S corporation shareholder is not personally liable or responsible for the debts and liabilities of the S Corp. Creditors cannot pursue the personal assets (house, bank accounts, etc.) of the shareholders to pay business debts. Pass-through taxation. As stated above, an S corporation does not pay federal taxes at the corporate level. Any business income or loss is passed through to the shareholders who report the income or loss on their personal income tax returns. In addition, S Corps are not subject to Florida State Corporate Franchise Tax. Tax-favorable characterization of income. Since shareholders can be employees and draw a salary, a reasonable split between corporate distributions as salary or dividends can reduce the owner-operator self-employment tax liability. Straightforward transfer of ownership. Interests in an S Corp can be freely transferred without triggering adverse tax consequences. The S Corp does not need to make adjustments to property basis or comply with complicated accounting rules when an ownership interest is transferred. S Corporation Disadvantages There are additional expenses a business will incur in operating as an S Corp such as incorporating and filing Articles of Incorporation, obtaining a registered agent, and paying the appropriate fees. States also impose ongoing fees such as annual report and /or franchise fees. These fees may not be expensive (continued on page 4) " 3 OF 4

4 CITRUS NOTES VOL UF/IFAS EXTENSION OCTOBER 2016 The S Corporations (from page 3) and can be deducted as a cost of doing business, but are expenses a sole proprietor or general partnership will not incur. Other disadvantages are: S corporations have stock issue and ownership restrictions. Only one class of stock may be issued although it can have both voting and nonvoting shares. Thus, there can t be different classes of investors who are entitled to different dividends or distribution rights. Also, there cannot be more than 100 shareholders. Certain types of trusts and other entities are prohibited as well as foreign ownership. There are numerous tax qualifications. They include various election, consent, notification, stock ownership and filing requirements. Mistakes regarding these requirements can accidentally result in the termination of S corporation status. Closer IRS scrutiny may result as amounts distributed can be dividends or salary. The Service may scrutinize such payments to insure the characterization conforms to reality. In some cases the IRS may change the characterization of the payments. Summary Operating a business as an S Corp may be appropriate if your business is relatively small and you do not foresee significant growth over time. All of the owners must meet the requirements of being a shareholder of an S Corp. Also, all of the shareholders must be willing to recognize their share of the full income of the company in their personal income tax returns every year. However, S corporations may not be the best operating entity for everyone. As always, if you are starting up a business and considering an S Corp or considering changing to an S corporation, be sure to include your tax professional in your thinking and planning. For more information on this topic and other tax planning for agricultural operations, please contact me at (863) or Tom@beasleybryantcpa.com and/or Ryan Beasley at (863) or Ryan@beasleybryantcpa.com. Please visit our website at for information on other relevant topics. We at Beasley, Bryant & Company, CPA s, P. A. are experienced in agricultural business problems, tax issues or concerns, and are here to help you. Thomas J. Bryant, CPA is Tax Partner, and Ryan Beasley, CPA is Business Management Partner; Beasley, Bryant & Company, CPA s, P. A., Lakeland, Florida (863) Florida Citrus Mutual Clay Shoot & Crop Estimate Lunchoen Florida Citrus Mutual will be hosting a clay shoot and citrus crop estimate luncheon at Dark Hammock Legacy Ranch near Lake Placid on Wednesday, October 12, If you would be interested in participating in shooting clays and lunch or just lunch contact Clark Baxley to register at: clarkb@flcitrusmutual.com. This event is open to all growers. SYNGENTA SUMMER INTERN RECRUITING Syngenta has kicked off their recruiting efforts for the 2017 Florida Intern Program. Below is a list of intern qualifications; these are not meant to be exclusive, but rather to help narrow our search. Seeking future employment in agriculture Basic familiarity with production agriculture Basic familiarity with insect, disease, and weed control Basic computer skills Willingness to work outdoors, experience preferred Self-motivated, detail oriented, honesty, and personable Ability to relocate to or originally from one of the following counties; Polk, Highlands, Hardee, Desoto, Hendry, Collier, Lee, Okeechobee, Martin, Osceola, St. Lucie, or Indian River Sophomore or Junior level (Seniors will be considered) Please have all interested candidates their resumes directly to cody.hoffman@syngenta.com. The Syngenta sales team will be interviewing interested candidates now through December 2016, at which time they hope to have all candidate selections complete. PAGE " 4 OF 4

5 9:00 am Check in begins 9:45 am Welcome and Introductions, Michael Rogers, UF/IFAS CREC 10:00 am Getting Started with the Diagnosis and Recommendation Integrated System (DRIS) for Citrus Nutrition Decision Support, Arnold Schumann, UF/IFAS CREC 10:20 am Managing Nutrient Accumulation and Uptake Using Advanced Citrus Production Systems, Davie Kadyampakeni, UF/IFAS CREC 10:50 am Break and visit with exhibitors 11:10 am Irrigation Scheduling and ph Management Affect the Health of HLB Affected Citrus Trees, Kelly Morgan, UF/IFAS SWFREC 11:40 am Foliar Fertilization for Grapefruit Production in the Indian River Region, Alan Wright, UF/IFAS IRREC 12:00 pm Lunch and visit with exhibitors 1:00 pm UF/IFAS Grower Nutrition Trials Update and New Trials, Tripti Vashisth, UF/IFAS CREC 1:30 pm A Grower s Perspective on UF/IFAS Grower Nutrition Trials, Vic Story, Story Citrus 1:45 pm A Grower s Perspective of Nutrition for Fresh Grapefruit, Tom Stopyra, The Packers of Indian River, Ltd. 2:15 pm Question and Answer; Conclude REGISTRATION FORM Citrus Nutrition Day Tuesday, October 11, 2016 Mail the completed registration form and check (made payable to UF) to: Sarah McCoy, Citrus REC, 700 Experiment Station Road, Lake Alfred, Florida sarahmccoy@ufl.edu Phone: Fax: Register online at Participant Name: Company Name: Phone: Fax: Dietary Restrictions (please circle): Vegetarian Gluten Free Dairy Free Other: Pre registration required by Tuesday, October 4, 2016 to avoid late registration fee Citrus Nutrition Day Tuesday, October 11, 2016 University of Florida, IFAS, Citrus Research and Education Center 700 Experiment Station Road, Lake Alfred, Florida Ben Hill Griffin, Jr. Hall Registration fee: $30.00 per person Complete registration form below and make checks payable to UF OR Register online at Pre registration required by Tuesday, October 4, 2016 (Registration fee increases to $45.00 after October 4 th ) CEUs will be requested for Restricted Use Pesticide and Certified Crop Advisors

6 Please make checks payable to: UF Registration fee is $7.00 per seminar day. Payment is due the Friday before each seminar day. A one time fee for all seminars is $ Must register by October 12, 2016.

7 27 OCT REVISED WORKER PROTECTION STANDARD (WPS) Revised WPS Train the Trainer Program 8:30 am - 12:00 noon We will be holding a WPS Train the Trainer certification class on October 27, 2016 at the Polk County Extension Service Office. Registration is $25 per participant and limited to 50 participants for this class. The registration fee covers printed materials and refreshments. The changes in the newly revised WPS will require that current WPS trainers be retrained to this new standard by year s end to continue training workers and handlers. Please register before October 25, 2016 by using the form below: Name: Company: Address: Phone: Please make checks payable and send to: Polk County Extension Citrus Advisory Committee P.O. Box 9005, Drawer HS03 Bartow, Fl Attn: Gail Crawford For additional information on the class or registration contact Gail Crawford at: DOROTHYC@UFL.EDU OR

8 Citrus Safety Training & Tractor Rodeo Polk County Agricultural Center - Stuart Conference Center 1710 Highway 17/98 South, Bartow, Florida Thursday, November 3, 2016 Annual Citrus Employee Safety Training Polk County Extension UF/IFAS invites you and your employees to attend the 2016 Polk County Citrus Safety Training Program. This program is designed to help growers with regulatory compliance by providing annual safety training for their employees. Topics include proper safety measures in the grove and on the highway. Preregistration is required. Please indicate if each participant would like to be in the English or Spanish sessions. Completed registration forms are due in the Extension Office no later than Friday, October 28, Annual Tractor Rodeo Rules To compete in the team competition, the completed pre-registration form must be received in the Extension Office by October 28, This year, the team competition will be determined by the score and ranking of single individuals from a company. The highest company individual score and rankings from each competition will determine the team winners. All participants will also compete as individuals for the events they enter. Tractor Rodeo Competitions The Sprayer Operator Competition will test precession, safety awareness, and attention to detail required for safe pesticide applications using a tractor with a sprayer. The Herbicide Operator Competition will test for the above mentioned skills on a tractor with a boom sprayer. In the Fertilizer Spread-Off, operators will simulate fertilizer applications to resets scattered randomly through a grove. The operator will be provided with an all-terrain utility vehicle (ATV), bucket of simulated fertilizer, and cups to apply the fertilizer. Judging will be based on precision of the fertilizer application, time, and vehicle operation skills. For more information about any competition, contact Chris Oswalt at (863) Agenda 7:30 Check-In 8:00 Welcome 8:05 Electrical and Powerline Safety 8:35 Road Safety 9:05 Break (Separate into English or Spanish Sessions) 9:15 Tractor Safety 9:50 Decontamination Procedures 10:00 Break 10:10 WPS Handler Training and Basic Pesticide Safety 11:00 Updated WPS Regulations 11:25 Break (English and Spanish sessions reconvene) 11:35 Jeopardy Review 12:00 Lunch In accordance with the provisions of ADA, auxiliary aids and services will be provided upon request with a 3-day notice. Contact Gail Crawford at (863) This material is available in an alternate format upon request. The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences is an Equal Employment authorized to provide research, educational informational and other services only to individuals and institutions that function without regard to race, color, sex, age, handicap, or national origin.

9 Citrus Worker Safety Training Program Registration This registration and a fee of $15 per person, which includes lunch, are due by Friday, October 28, Safety Training Program (Please print particpants names) English Spanish The team competition will be determined by the score and ranking of single individuals from a company. The highest company individual score and rankings from each competition will determine the team winners. All participants will also compete as individuals for the events they enter. Name Sprayer Operator Herbicide Operator Fertilizer Spread-Off Contact Name: Phone Number: Company Name and Address: Please mail this form with your check made payable to: Polk County Citrus Advisory Committee Gail Crawford, Polk County Extension PO Box 9005, Drawer HS03, Bartow, Florida

10 WINTER WEATHER WATCH PROGRAM NOVEMBER 15, 2016 TO MARCH 15, 2017 REGISTRATION FEE: $ It s once again time to register for the upcoming Winter Weather Watch Program. Upon receiving your $ registration payment, you will be sent an unlisted telephone number with which you can retrieve the latest Ag Forecasts, 24 hours a day. Please do not give this number to others. The Winter Weather Watch Program is funded by the registration fees to pay for telephone equipment rentals, long distance calls, repairs and our meteorologist Winter Weather Watch Program NAME: PHONE NUMBER: COMPANY: MAILING ADDRESS: ADDRESS: CITY: ZIP CODE: REGISTRATION FEE $ PLEASE RETURN THIS REGISTRATION FORM AND YOUR CHECK PAYABLE TO: POLK COUNTY EXTENSION CITRUS ADVISORY COMMITTEE PO BOX 9005, DRAWER HS03 BARTOW, FL

11 Forecast Schedule Forecast Product Above Below 28 Zone Daily 8:30 a.m. Daily 8:30 a.m. Daily 8:30 a.m & 8-14 Day Outlooks Mon/Wed/Fri 8:30 a.m. Mon/Wed/Fri 8:30 a.m. Mon/Wed/Fri 8:30 a.m. Weekly Outlook Friday 5:00 p.m. Friday 5:00 p.m. Friday 5:00 p.m. Leaf Freezing Temperatures Friday 5:00 p.m. Friday 5:00 p.m. Friday 5:00 p.m. Special Weather Narratives As Needed Daily 4:00 p.m. Daily 4:00 p.m. Afternoon Zone None Daily 5:30 p.m. Daily 5:30 p.m. Sunset/Brunt As Needed As Needed Daily 7:00 p.m. 2

12 2016 Fall Training Sites & Dates Sept , 2016 Oct. 4-5, 2016 Oct , 2016 Fort Pierce UF/IFAS IRREC 2199 South Rock Road Fort Pierce, FL Ph: Register: h ps://fls2016fortpierce.eventbrite.com Homestead Miami-Dade Cty Ext SW 288th St. Homestead, FL Ph: Register: h ps://fls2016homestead.eventbrite.com Arcadia Family Service Center 310 W. Whidden St. Arcadia, FL Ph: Register: h ps://fls2016arcadia.eventbrite.com Oct , 2016 Sebring UF/IFAS Highlands Cty Extension 4509 George Blvd. Sebring, FL Ph: Register: h ps://fls2016sebring.eventbrite.com November 9 10, 2016 Immokalee Southwest FL REC 2685 State Road 29 N Immokalee, FL Ph: Register: h ps://fls2016immokalee.eventbrite.com 2 DAYS OF TRAINING AT EACH LOCATION DAY 1 TIME CLASSES 8:30 am - 9:00 am Registra on 9:00 am - 10:00 am FLC Basics Who should take these classes? Labor Contractors, Crew Leaders, Bus & Van Drivers and Farm Office Staff Language: English or Spanish 10:15 am - 12:30 pm Wage & Hour 12:30 pm 1:00 pm Lunch 1:00 pm 2:30 pm Rules for Drivers 2:45 pm - 4:00 pm Safe Driving Class informa on: Minimum Class Size: 10 par cipants Fee: $50 per person per class DAY 2 TIME CLASSES To register visit: h p://swfrec.ifas.ufl.edu/programs/ economics/fls or go directly to the Eventbrite page 8:30 am - 9:00 am Registra on 9:00 am - 11:00 am HR Compliance 11:00 am - 11:30 pm Lunch 11:30 pm 1:30 pm Management Communica on 1:45 pm - 3:15 pm Heat Illness For More Informa on Contact: Barbara Hyman (239) (hymanb@ufl.edu) Carlene Thissen (239) (carlene@ufl.edu) O llame a para español